Railways hikes train fares from December 26
The railways have decided to revise their fares, just before the new year, which will make tickets more expensive for General, Mail/Express, and AC categories.
According to the railways, these increased fares will be implemented from December 26, 2025. However, the railways have clarified that there will be no change in the fares of local trains and monthly season tickets (MSTs).
How much will the fare increase in each category?
- According to the railways, for journeys exceeding 215 km, the fare in the general category will increase by 1 paisa per km.
- In the Mail/Express non-AC category, the fare will increase by 2 paise per km.
- The AC category will also see an increase of 2 paise per km.
- For a 500 km non-AC journey, passengers will have to pay only Rs. 10 more in total.
Why is the railway increasing fares?
According to the railways, the network and the number of trains have expanded significantly in the last 10 years. The number of railway employees has also increased to improve safety and operations, leading to higher expenditure on salaries and allowances. According to the railways, the expenditure on manpower has increased to Rs. 1.15 lakh crore. The annual expenditure on pensions for railway employees is Rs. 60,000 crore. The total operational expenditure of the railways (2024-25) was Rs. 2.63 lakh crore.
Therefore, to balance these expenses, the railways have announced a limited increase in passenger fares along with an increase in freight charges. The railways also state that safety has improved significantly due to enhanced safety measures. India has now become the world’s second-largest freight network and has set a record for its operational capacity by running more than 12,000 trains during festive seasons.
